The Brights

Comment

Comment by Ian on October 23, 2010 at 11:09am

Geraldo's post mentions, "extremist anti-religious atheist fanatics." This group is not mentioned nor defined anywhere in the attached article or the rest of the post. Who, or what are these people? I ask because this sounds like a rather childish game of name-calling.

I don't think I have ever met an atheist who is as fervent as the majority of southern Baptists. Can you point to anyone who is such an "extremist atheist fanatic" that they want to make atheism a national law in any country, or want to stone religious believers, or want state funding for atheist meeting houses? We are surrounded, in the US southern states, by nutters of god who would reintroduce burning at the stake given half a chance.

I respectfully invite you to define your term, "extremist anti-religious atheist fanatics." I am wondering if I am one, since I have heretofore thought I was simply a moderate who didn't like religious loonies trying to take over the government.

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on October 23, 2010 at 10:34am

ISLAMAPHOBIA

Pepe Escobar is, I think one of the better of the lesser known writers and progressive journalists. Here he makes the argument that a xenophobic faction of the right is fueling the anti-Islam movement. Common sense, rational atheists should avoid an alliance with extremist anti-religious atheist fanatics and right wing white Christian anti-immigrant zealots. Escobar offers the, I think humanist interpretation, that "fascism is a creation of racial hatred" and narrowly defined nationalism. In my opinion, alienating and isolating immigrants will only help to foster separatist anti-humanist tendencies in immigrant populations that will help to breed disillusionment with the hope of progress that was the promise modern western civilization held up as a beacon of freedom. We, as freethinkers, should be encouraging open mindedness, assimilation and healthy interaction between majority and minority communities. No large social group should be demonized on the basis of their cultural or ethnic identity. – Gary


ISLAMAPHOBIA RAPIDLY SPREADS THROUGH EUROPE

The European extreme right is more turbocharged than ever, peddling Islamic hatred from France to Denmark, from Italy to Sweden.
By Pepe Escobar / Asia Times

READ MORE
http://www.alternet.org/story/148589/

-- -- --
posted by Gary

Comment by Geraldo Cienmarcos on October 20, 2010 at 10:07pm

Christian Right Insiders Reveal Racism, Virulent Anti-Immigrant Attitudes and Homophobia in Prominent Religious Right Group

"I'd much rather be working in the secular world than for a ministry," said the founder's former secretary, still a conservative and devout Christian. "The secular world is nicer."

READ MORE
http://www.alternet.org/belief/148488/

Comment by Davis Jacobson on September 25, 2010 at 4:36pm

Better safe than sorry! The rules do seem "subject to interpretation".

Comment by Sarah Walton on September 25, 2010 at 11:45am

My visa doesn't allow me to work or volunteer--I'm technically in the US on a visitor's visa. After the hassle we went through to get my visa, I very reluctant to do anything that might possibly be seen as violating the terms of my visa.

That said, this should all be changing within the next few months. I'm just thinking of it as a vacation! ;)

Comment by Davis Jacobson on September 25, 2010 at 10:29am

Sarah, why can't you legally volunteer in the US? Anyone who agrees with the material at the-brights.net is encouraged to register as a Bright, and the pins and t-shirts are available at the CafePress store. I don't know that a person who showed up and volunteered to take a shift at the local homeless shelter would be turned away just because she was a recent immigrant....

Comment by Bud Martin on September 25, 2010 at 9:46am

All opinions welcome. ("Ignorance is the greatest evil.") See: co27DOTus. "Been there, done that ... ."

Comment by Sarah Walton on September 25, 2010 at 9:33am

The Brights movement works in a similar way to Dawkins' OUT Campaign; it relies on the people within it to step forward and identify themselves as a Bright, or bright, or atheist or what have you.

In my short experience with the Brights (though I have been aware of the movement for a number of years, I've found they are as much about creating visibility for people with naturalistic and humanistic world views as they are about civic action (indeed, in this movement, one relies on the other).

As soon as I can legally volunteer in the US, I do plan on wearing a Bright's t-shirt or pin. :)

Comment by Davis Jacobson on September 25, 2010 at 9:19am

Lofty goals, Bud. But since the Brights are a constituency _of individuals_ that requires individuals to step forward to arrange things. If you and one other volunteered at a local soup kitchen and called yourselves Brights while doing it, that would be "constructive altruism by individuals joined in a continuum", no? And the civic goals of the Brights Network would be advanced by the example you set by doing so.

Comment by Bud Martin on September 24, 2010 at 9:12pm

Constructive altruism by self-aware individuals joined in a continuum.

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